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Oregon Tuna Classic

West Coast fishermen who catch bottomfish are facing a sea change in their business.

These are the people who haul up black cod, snapper, Dover sole and other delicacies for your table. Federal fishery managers are replacing traditional fishing seasons with individual catch quotas.

The strict quotas are expected to shrink the trawl fishing fleet significantly. That means bottom draggers may leave the business and switch to other fisheries, increasing competition for crab and shrimp for example.